Preparation

Cut the bird into 12 pieces, leg, thigh and breast in two, wing. Using a heavy pot with a lid, start it skin side down in the butter and oil over a medium flame, and let it take good color. Turn it over and brown both sides. Remove the chicken to a dish.

Add the diced shallots and mushrooms. Let the shallots get soft and lightly browned. Take your time. Add 2 tbs of flour and let it brown. The taste of the browned flour is a basic part of this dish. Another way is to lightly flour the bird before frying. Pour off all excess fat at this point. Add Sun Dried Tomato Pesto (a new wrinkle) and cook a few moments more. Add tomato sauce and cook 5 minutes, to cook off any sourness.

Add the Brandy, Wine, and Brown Chicken Stock. Let this come to a boil, and simmer 5 min, with stirring.

Add the previously browned Chicken and any juices it may have left with it, and simmer in the sauce till tender. This may take less than an hour with todays tender chickens, but will take longer with wild game, such as Pheasant.

If the sauce weeps some grease, as chicken will do, skim what you can and bind the rest with some cornstarch dissolved in white wine. The reason we added a little flour to brown is so if you do this step, the sauce won't look clear, as though you had taken a shortcut and only used cornstarch.

Season with salt and pepper, add some freshly chopped parsley. If the sauce tastes a bit oily, try adding some fresh lemon juice or a dash of Balsamic Vinegar.

(What if you don't have brown chicken stock? Use regular stock. The color of this sauce is a rich reddish brown, using regular chicken stock it will be too pale. Adjust it with dark mushroom soy, and use less salt.)

Suggested Wine: I used Gallo Chardonnay to cook and drink with this dish.

Serving Ideas: On a bed of rice, noodles, mashed potatoes or grits

NOTES: Chasseur, or Hunter Style was formerly meant for badly shot game or tough old birds. The birds were always cut up to remove lead shot or torn parts, and often cooked all day on the back of the range if they were old or tough.